Dallas Cowboys Blog

GameDay Key Matchup: Aussie punters rule

Two of the best punters in the NFL just happen to be Australians. And it just so happens that they will be on the same field on Christmas.

Dallas’ return to the desert evokes painful memories for McBriar. That’s where he broke his streak and his foot.

In the last meeting between the teams, the Cardinals won in overtime, 30-24, on the first blocked punt of McBriar’s career. Special teams Pro Bowler Sean Morey rushed past Cowboys tight end Tony Curtis and crashed into McBriar before he got the punt off.

“I didn’t expect a rush at all,” McBriar recalled this week. “I was really just focusing on getting some good field position because we were backed up pretty good. Tony was trying to get out in coverage, he was just not thinking block at that time and I can’t really blame him.”

Graham, a lefty, finished first in Pro Bowl fan voting on Monday, although his numbers have dropped this season.

Signed as a free agent in 2008, he set an NFL high and single-season club record for most punts downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line last year with 42. On 80 punts this season, he is tied for ninth with 25 punts downed inside the 20. McBriar, who has 52 punts, ranks 19th.

Graham is averaging 36 net yards, down four from last season, and eight of his kicks have resulted in touchbacks. McBriar has a net average of 41.9 with six touchbacks.